Christmas but once a year

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 5, Issue 31, 19 January 1988, Page 7

Christmas but once a year

Can some one give me an answer? Why is it that at Christmas time lots of people take part in Christmas festivities who at other times never attend religious functions? Many will join in religious activities, they will attend carol singing, they will come to a religious service, they will give gifts, they will welcome people into their homes and visit others, they will bc kind and generous and more importantly forgiving and, in gcncral, bc imbucd with the spirit o f Christmass as proclaimcd by ihe angels on that first Christmass niorn wlicn ihcy sang 'Glory to God in Ihe liighest, and peace and goodwill to all people". Now, this question is not aimed at those people who we can ea II regular ehureh goers, but at those people who do not darkeu the doors of a ehureh Ironi one Christmas to the next, who do not aeknowledge God m Iheir dady lives,. who take

no account of the laws of God if it does not suit them. Again, I am not referring to those people who have never had any allegiance to any religion, but rather to those people who on census night state that they belong to one or other Christian religion. The query which arises in my mind is 'what is it that motivates such people at this time of the year?' Does it arise from sentimentality coming from

past practice? It it an occasion to ease their conscience by giving glory to God once a year? Maybe they are carried along by the general well being of Christmass. I am sure that many, if not most, are good people and they should never be tumed away. However, lets FACE-UP to it. Is once a year sufficient to show appreciation and goodwill towards God? Father Phil McCormack

S

.M.